The Pelicans bolstered their backcourt, drafting Penn State point guard Tony Carr in the second round. New Orleans used the 51st overall pick to take Carr, 6-foot-5, who averaged 19.6 points (second-most in the Big Ten), 5.0 assists and 4.9 rebounds as a sophomore last season.

While the biggest question facing New Orleans this offseason is the future of free-agent All-Star forward of DeMarcus Cousins, the organization faces questions about a key agent in point guard Rajon Rondo.

”He can play” both guard positions, Pelicans general manager Dell Demps said of Carr. ”We like his size. We like his ability to score. We like his ability to make plays. He’s pretty crafty and he played in a tough conference and was able to score at an elite level.”

As New Orleans looks to resolve those situations, the Pelicans wanted to upgrade their perimeter game this offseason, particularly with scorers who can create their own shot off the dribble.

Carr shot just 40.8 percent from the floor last season, but that was an improvement from the 37.7 percent he shot while averaging 13.2 points as a freshman. He improved his three-point percentage from 32.0 as a freshman to 43.3 as a sophomore.

Starting shooting guard Jrue Holiday can also play the point Sam Darnold Jersey Jets , but backup point guard Ian Clark is also a free agent. Last year’s No. 2 pick, Frank Jackson, is a combo guard who missed all of his rookie season because of a foot injury.

Carr said he has studied Holiday, who was named to the NBA All-Defensive team and averaged 19 points per game last season.

He said like Holiday, ”I can play on both ends of the floor. I can score and I can also facilitate for others.”

Rondo, 32, was signed to a one-year deal last summer and proved to be a valuable veteran presence on a team with little playoff experience.

Demps said the uncertainty of Rondo’s and Clark’s future with the team wasn’t a factor in the Pelicans selecting Carr.

”We really looked at the best player available,” Demps said. ”But I don’t want to get too excited. We’re going to get him in here next week. We’ll see when we get a live look at him. There’s no guarantee he’ll be on the team this year.”

Cousins’ status is complicated by a couple of factors. He’s coming off a torn Achilles that ended his season in January, and the Pelicans played well after acquiring Niko Mirotic in a February trade with Chicago to replace Cousins. That trade cost them their first-round pick.

New Orleans wound up winning 48 games and sweeping Portland in a first-round playoff series before losing to Golden State in five games.

He said the Pelicans have been communicating with the agents for Cousins and Rondo.

”They’re both big parts of what we did,” Demps said.

Demps added that Cousins’ rehabilitation is ”right on schedule,” adding that Cousins is ”committed to getting back and being ready to play.”

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The Washington Capitals are bringing back two of the more important players from their Stanley Cup run by getting new contracts done with winger Devante Smith-Pelly and defenseman Michal Kempny.

Smith-Pelly had offers from other teams and took less money to sign a $1 million, one-year deal Thursday. A person with knowledge of the move later in the day said the Capitals agreed to terms on a multiyear contract with Kempny. The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the deal had not been announced.

”We all want to come back and play and try it again with the same group,” Smith-Pelly said. ”Obviously it might not work that way, but I think that’s what’s everyone intention to all come back and all be the same group.”

Smith-Pelly and Kempny were key acquisitions for the Capitals who played dividends in the playoffs. Smith-Pelly scored seven goals in the postseason, while Kempny filled the need for a top-four defenseman.

Each player said after the season he’d like to return. For Kempny, it’s the chance to keep an ”amazing” time going after fitting in perfectly alongside John Carlson and found his game under associate coach Todd Reirden.

The Capitals acquired Kempny from Chicago at the trade deadline for a third-round pick. He did not seem to be a favorite of Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville, was largely a third-pairing defenseman in Chicago and doubted his own ability to play difficult minutes against top NHL players.

”Todd, defenseman coach, he get my belief in myself back and I really appreciate (him) for it because when I came here I didn’t believe in myself,” Kempny said. ”I didn’t have confidence enough. Now, I’m back and my confidence is getting better and better.”

The 27 year-old Czech had two goals and three assists while playing 17:42 a game in the playoffs. Even better news for him is Reirden is the strong front-runner to replace departed coach Barry Trotz.

Smith-Pelly likewise got his career back on track in Washington after he was bought out by New Jersey last summer. When signing Smith-Pelly to a two-way, league-minimum $650,000 contract, general manager Brian MacLellan called him a ”project” and made no assurances he’d crack the opening night roster.

The Toronto native put up seven goals and nine assists in 75 regular-season games and then had two game-winners during his scoring tear in the playoffs. Being comfortable in Washington and embraced by teammates and fans led Smith-Pelly to take the Capitals’ offer rather than a one- or two-year deal elsewhere with a higher salary.

”It wasn’t worth it to leave somewhere where I’m happy and somewhere where I really want to be,” the 26-year-old third-liner said. ”The money to me personally is not that important if I’m not going to be happy somewhere else.”

Smith-Pelly has 40 goals and 53 assists for 93 points in 341 regular-season games with the Anaheim Ducks Logan Paulsen Color Rush Jersey , Montreal Canadiens, Devils and Capitals. Smith-Pelly was ready to stop the career carousel.

”It’d be nice to just stick in for one place for a couple years, and hopefully if it works out, longer than just this one next year,” Smith-Pelly said. ”It definitely played a role in the decision. I’m kind of tired of playing on new teams and all that stuff. It’s good to come back and be in the same place consecutive years.”

A 2010 second-round pick who had yet to find a foothold anywhere, Smith-Pelly was more than happy to take a chance on putting up bigger numbers going into unrestricted free agency in the summer of 2019.

”I have confidence in myself that I can carry over from the playoffs and do something and then set myself up for something bigger and more stable later,” Smith-Pelly said. ”It’s definitely betting yourself. That’s what I’m doing, and I’m confident in myself.”

The Capitals wanted him back even after not giving him a qualifying offer Monday as a restricted free agent. Doing so at a cost of $715,000 would have opened them up to an arbitration case and, at the very least Cordy Glenn Color Rush Jersey , kept Smith-Pelly’s salary-cap hit an unknown until the hearing in July or August.

It didn’t get to that point. The team continued to negotiate with agent Eustace King, and Smith-Pelly was more than happy to take a chance on putting up bigger numbers going into unrestricted free agency in the summer of 2019.

”I have confidence in myself that I can carry over from the playoffs and do something and then set myself up for something bigger and more stable later,” Smith-Pelly said. ”It’s definitely betting yourself. That’s what I’m doing, and I’m confident in myself.”